Professional Liability

We are acutely conscious of the reputational and financial impact professional negligence claims carry with them. We offer pragmatic and focused solutions tailored to the needs of our clients and the claims they face. With a strong team of PI professionals - giving strength in depth coverage in the UK and based across Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, whether dealing with mediation, adjudication or litigation in the UK or overseas - we have the expertise and the resources to deliver results swiftly and effectively.

We cultivate long-term and close working relationships with our insurer clients, their key partners and insureds through dedicated client relationship partners, personal service and highly interfaced IT systems. In building and maintaining these relationships we aim to deliver the best possible service in the sector.

What we do

We act for the vast majority of the insurers who are underwriting business in the PI sector and deal with disputes across the whole range from established to emerging professions. We regularly act on an on-going, and often exclusive basis for large professional firms, themselves in concert with their insurers.

We have acted for the market in many of the leading cases in this complex and diverse area of law, and we offer a comprehensive dispute resolution service at the highest possible level.

We work with our insurer clients, their key brokers and insureds in risk assessment and improvement.

We have a strong track record of defending and representing professionals against allegations brought before their regulatory bodies.

What we are known for

We have an excellent reputation in the field of Professional Liability, and have been involved in many of the ground-breaking PI cases dealt with by the English courts over the last few decades.

We are particularly well known for our work in defending legal professionals and have represented large City and International law firms, as well as regional practices, niche partnerships and sole practitioners. We also represent the Bar (including QC’s and Judges), as well as other legal professionals such as Legal Executives and Licenced Conveyancers.

Our expertise in representing property professionals is widely admired, and we are proud to act for many of the UK’s top 10 national and international property consultants, the UK’s largest estate agency and property services group, many of the largest regional surveying, valuation, estate agency and lettings companies, and the majority of the professional liability insurers who underwrite these risks.

We are extremely well regarded for our defence of construction professionals and their insurers, and are often seen in technically challenging multi-party claims against architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, design and build contractors and specialist sub-contractors. As well as these high value matters, we are also sought after in providing highly cost effective solutions for claims that have a lower value, but which are often equally complex.

We are respected for our work in defending accountants and insolvency professionals where we deal with claims relating to audits, tax (including film schemes), corporate and insolvency advice, breaches of trust, wrongful/fraudulent trading, company valuations, fraud and advice in emerging areas such as cyber-crime, as well as general dispute resolution. We are especially sought after in high value and complex claims against accountants in offshore jurisdictions including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, BVI and Caymans.

We are experts in advising financial advisers and their insurers on defending a wide variety of claims, providing them with advice on coverage, and also on strategic issues and on the mitigation of future risks. Our profile in this area is demonstrated by the fact that we act for some of the largest national networks of financial advisers, mortgage and insurance intermediaries, sole practitioner IFAs, private banking arms of retail banks, wealth management business of investment banks, and leading life companies.

We have defended large numbers of insurance brokers’ negligence claims arising from both commercial and personal lines business and covering a broad spectrum of risks, both domestic and international. We have a deep understanding of the broking sector and have advised BIBA on brokers’ risk management issues and featured in a range of their publications.

We are known for our innovative approach and our closeness to the market. This has resulted in our gaining a reputation for handling claims against what are increasingly referred to as Emerging Professions. From new technology advisers, through to web, marketing and design professionals, from wedding photographers and home-based businesses, up to a multitude of advisers and consultants in large global corporates we are recognised as the experts to turn to.

Detailed elements of our services

We deal with disputes involving all professions including:

• Accountants and actuaries
• Adjusters
• Architects
• Barristers
• Computer and IT professionals
• Construction and engineering professionals
• Educational institutions and consultants
• Emerging professions
• Financial institutions and investment advisors
• Insolvency professionals
• Insurance Brokers
• Solicitors and other legal professionals
• Surveyors and property professionals
• Technology and IT professionals